Olevia 537H 37-Inch LCD HDTV Reviews

• Almost perfect

  
  By AID41VA4JFLKA on 2006-10-16
  I purchased the Olevia 537h LCD flat panel TV for my mother, as she entered an assisted living community. I wanted her to have the best picture quality. She loves baseball, and has fairly good eyesight.
  
  I had spent some time looking at the Olevia 537h, but had only seen it showing a poor quality documentary. Still, I could see that the picture was excellent. When I installed my unit (which by the way was delivered sooner than expected, and in perfect condition), and first played a DVD, I was more than satisfied with the results (the Platinum edition of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was almost too good. You could see the artists' every brush stroke). The DVD player was one which Up-converted to HD 1080i quality, and the Olevia was up to the task. The picture was sharp, and the color was pure.
  
  As has been stated, the on-screen display menu system Syntax is so proud of takes some getting used to, and I had to print out the manual from disc to have a reference in front of me. Some things are still not clear (manual-wise, that is) I almost have it fully programmed, but will probably have to find a simpler remote for my mother's use. I'm using it with an HD antenna, but will probably have to arrange for cable input, as some local stations just don't come in well. This I know is not the fault of the unit.
  
  Overall it is a gem. The picture looks great in even bright room light. No glare from the screen. The colors are pure. And the price from Amazon is the best I had found.
  
  

• A great product at a great price

  
  By A282092JW5Q1OK on 2006-09-05
  A great product got better. The 537H is the successor to the LT37HVS which was a great product with a heavy internet following because it provided a excellent picture at a very reasonable price. So how did Syntax top the LT37HVS well they kiazen`d(fixed) its few failings the SD picture, ATSC tuner and the remote while retaining the excellent picture and the great price point.
  
  The quality is fantastic, watching PBS's nature shows just shows off the picture.
  
  The ATSC tuner works great, I live in a rural area and many of our digital stations operate at low power but with a good indoor power antenna I picked up all the broadcast channels without problem. WKET transponder is a good 40 miles away and operates below 100W but came in with no dropouts.
  
  Where this television really separates it self from the other low end HD panels is the SD picture quality. Low end panels normally fail when it up converts an SD 480i signal, the cheap video processors usual included cannot process a decent looking SD picture which a real annoyance since the majority on content will be SD until we go all Digital in 2009 or later if you are using cable sources. The SD up conversion looks great, nearly as good as the up conversion at the local broadcasting stations.
  
  
  Pros:
  Great contrast ratio 1:1600
  Excellent colors, bright (though the darks took a little adjustment to get right)
  An ATSC tuner that works great.
  Lot's of different sources at the back.
  Nice styling
  
  Cons: (Silly small things)
  A little thick for a flat panel.
  Menu system takes a little getting used too.
  
  I personally believe that it will be hard to find a better 37" HD panel at this price point.
  
  
  

• SURPASSED ALL EXPECTATIONS!!!

  
  By A262K2EUVFUB9E on 2006-11-12
  This is an incredible TV. Aside from some annoying minor problems like the fact that I can't program my cable box remote with this TV's codes to turn the set off and on or to change channels (the codes that Olevia says will work--won't) and selecting the source by rotating through ALL of the options (including the unused ones). Otherwise this is a truly stellar piece of electronics. Amazing picture, great sound, nicely designed...oh and did I mention great picture? The HD channels are so vivid as to look like a photograph. While channel surfing I hit Madagascar in HD and just stopped because the picture was awe inspiring. Bottom line, the price is extremely affordable. Xbox 360 games take on a whole new perspective on this TV.
  
  

• Agree with the other reviewers here !

  
  By A37VKF5MMCMY8T on 2007-01-06
  I bought the 537H before Thanksgiving for just under $1,000. The price has subsequently dropped to well under $900. Shop the net and get the best price. I did have to update the firmware which requires you to download the drivers and the software from the Olevia site, then hook up your USB cable from the computer to the TV and then follow specific instructions requiring you to unplug the TV two times. Not real user friendly and if Olevia had a little better product control, the consumer wouldn't have to "reboot" a new TV so to speak. The price is terrific for the size of the screen. The remote control codes are impossible to find and even Olevia admits that 3rd party remote controls will not work, unless you get a learning remote and program that independently. So I have three remotes right now, one with the TV to control the volume, the Time Warner cable box remote to change the channels and the Dish Network remote for the satellite. Got a learning remote on the way to help alleviate the clutter.
  The 537H does have many input jacks to accommodate your cable boxes, audio receiver, DVD players etc. The downside is that when your trying to change the input(say going from cable box to satellite TV) you've got to go through a whole list of different inputs to get to the one you want. To be specific it is 10 inputs you will scroll through.
  If I was going to do it again, I may of spent another $100 or so and looked for more well known maker whose remote codes are more known.
  Overall for the money it's a good set, just be aware that there are some trade offs.
  
  
  UPDATE March 2007:
  
  
  I've had the 537H since November and now feel competent to write a review after living with this for 4+ months. The TV is now a better buy than when I purchased it for $1,000. It can be had for around $700.00. A terrific value in my opinion. The picture is very, very good. The shipping box is very, very poor. Make sure you know the sellers policy on returns/damaged goods. Don't let the UPS/FED-EX/DHL whoever leave until after you've inspected the box, opened the box and made sure everything is good.
  The 537 has plenty of inputs especially at this price point. It has like 10 different component settings available(DVD, SAT, TUNER, S-Video(2), Composite(2), component(2) and HDMI. The problem is that one mist scrawl through all of these to get to the component that you want to watch. There is no way to "turn off" so to speak those that you do not actually have hooked up. The TV does not have a universal remote code, so if your trying to use a remote from another component(say your cable TV remote or satellite remote), your not going to be able to control the TV with those. I ended up getting a SONY learning remote and programmed that with all the codes from the Olevia remote, my DVD player, Amplifier, Satellite TV box and cable box. Another thing a buyer needs to know is that the TV ships in what Olevia calls "Showroom mode." When you first turn on the TV, you will have to take the TV software out of this mode and put it in "home" mode as this will allow you to change audio and video settings, take the tv out of Closed Captioning(yes it comes with CC activated - Why ??? Who knows ?)and change the audio from "church" mode(the audio is like an echo) to normal mode(again Why ???). The instruction manual is entirely on a CD and you should spend a 1/2 hour or so opening this CD on your computer and reading the set up instructions. The TV does have a base that can be removed for wall mounting but you'll need an extra long Phillips head screwdriver to reach the screws that are mounted 5 to 6" up inside the bottom of the base. However once you get it all hooked up and set up, you will really enjoy the picture.
  
  

• Modest price, Big performer

  
  By AZZUX6QT7M1IC on 2007-01-08
  I want to first say that the box the Olevia is packaged in leaves a lot to be desired. I ordered from Target, and it was delivered by UPS. UPS rang the door bell and left. By the time I got to the door, the delivery guy was gone. I immediately noticed a huge, 6-inch hole punched in the side of it, which was no wonder given how thin the cardboard was. Upon inspection (through the gaping hole), it appeared that the screen had a 2 inch scratch in it. However, upon removing it from the package, it became apparent the scratch was in the protective film-not the screen itself. They really should improve the box this thing is being shipped in!!!
  
  With that said, I am completely thrilled with my 537h.
  
  Pros:
  
  Skin tones look very natural.
  The built in speakers are more than adequate for even a fairly large room.
  Lots of inputs (10 total, including HDMI).
  HD quality is very nice and even SD quality is good, though obviously no where near as nice as HD.
  VERY reasonably priced. Granted, this was my biggest reason for purchasing this set, and I'm happy I did.
  Channel autoprogram found several digital channels in addition to the normal analog, so depending on where you live, you can get some unencrypted HD channels without a subscription.
  1 year in-home warranty.
  
  Cons:
  Boot up time is a little annoying (10 - 15 seconds), though I've noticed if you hit the "source" key on the remote as soon as the Olevia splash screen is visible, you'll get an immediate picture.
  Also, it's a little annoying having to toggle through all 10 inputs. If you overshoot the one you wanted by mistake, you have to do it again. Also, I wish the television would remember what input it was on last time, rather than always switching to the "tuner" after being shut off.
  "Power light" seems counter-intuitive. Bright blue LED is on when the tv is off, and turns on when you turn off the tv. Yes, this means a normally dark room is illuminated in a faint blue hue.
  
  I'm giving it 5 stars, because I can't give it a 4.5. The things I don't like are very small in comparison to the things I do. Also, I can be a lot more forgiving given the incredible price point. It really is a very good value.
  
  I would readily recommend this television to anyone wanting a mid performance unit at an entry level price. There are better screens out there, but they cost twice as much.
  
  
  
  
• Great Product; Horrible Service
  By A1MWNH1O20J9K5 on 2007-07-28
  This is a great TV. Unfortunately, my TV only worked for 12 hours before it would not turn on again. My first reaction was that I got a defective model, but I understand that this sometimes happens. I immediately contacted Olevia regarding the warranty. Here's where things went south. Olevia did not respond to my numerous e-mails regarding the problem. I've spooken to their representatives on the phone a half a dozen times and while they finally agreed to replace the TV with a new one, I've yet to take delivery of the new unit after a month. They don't seem to be able to give a definitive answer on the problem OR the resolution. Very disappointing.
  
  Bottom Line: If your TV works, you're in for a treat as the picture quality is nice, with sound that can't be beat. However, if you have any problems and are counting on the warranty to fix them, you're in for a rough ride.
  
  
• I agree, a great product!
  By A2T049UQONS0OY on 2007-11-03
  The Olevia 537H is a wonderful and inexpensive way to enter the world of HDTV on a budget and still get big rewards. We owned an RCA 27-inch cabinet model we bought in 1991 and repaired once about 2000. It was a great television when we bought it, a big improvement over what we'd owned before. It never quite came back to its glory after that repair, which took it out of our home for two weeks.
  
  In recent years, it simply got too old. I watch a lot of NFL on television and those little boxes in the upper left and right hand corners became about impossible to read. The scroll at the bottom of the page could be a challenge, too. I notice the colors were no longer exact, either. They turned pale and wayward when compared with the other television in our house. Since I am about to turn 57, I needed more help than just new glasses to resolve all this.
  
  I checked out a lot of TVs before buying this one, both online and by comparison watching in stores. The universal acclaim this model has received is justified. It has a wonderful picture (with one little problem), excellent definition, and beautiful colors. And we aren't even watching in high definition yet. I merely plugged the coaxial cable from Dish Network into the "Antenna" line, turned the TV to channel 60, and it played. I was unable to completely rig my remote to do everything, so we are burdened with having to use two remotes for the time being. I hope to resolve this when we switch to HD in a week or two.
  
  The one little problem I encounter it a light screen on the left quarter of the screen when the screen goes black. This does not affect the picture when it's in color, only in total black. I have no idea what this is and would like to hear from owners that may have experienced this. It is hardly a problem for me but I wonder if there's a way to eliminate this.
  
  As you can tell by reading this, I am a low-tech television viewer. I know the definition on this model is excellent but not as good as the best, and the LCD picture is great but no challenge to plasma. However, I bought my television from a national retailer for $694, making this one of the best buys I've had this year. Even if you pay $100 more than this, it's a great television for the price and delivers the goods in spades. I'm sure it will be a knockout when we commit to high definition, too.
  
  
• Issues
  By A2VPV73G0GEJAB on 2007-07-24
  Where is the QA department? Looked great at first. We hooked it up in our apartment and enjoyed good movies. We then threw away the box. It always seems the day after you dispose of the box, that the problems kick in. First: A vertical green line seems to appear after 15 minutes of the set being turned on. The line is to the right of center and stretches from the top to the bottom of the screen. Second: The audio 'pops' loudly every few minutes. Most people play their audio through a separate receiver and would never notice the poor amplification unit in the TV. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people. I guess the thing is still on warranty, so one of these days I will get around to reporting the problem to Amazon, the fulfiller or to Olevia. However, I am one of those busy people who doesn't have time for things that don't work out of the box. I am sure that if these two issues were resolved, I would be very happy with this unit, but like I said, who has the time?
  
  
• Great for the $$$ but Still a Bit of a ???
  By A3G6JX1120C57X on 2007-04-02
  The picture quality of this TV really is excellent for an LCD, much better than most others I've seen and close to even the best LCDs, thanks to the LG panel and MTK processor. The factory default settings look very good and need only a little tweaking. SD channels look as good as I've seen on any LCD, especially with noise reduction on. The sound is decent, for built in speakers, it has a really good selection of inputs, though an extra HDMI would be nice and overall it's a good looking set. It does have a few quirks, takes 15 seconds to power up, 2 seconds to change channels, must scroll through all inputs to get the one you want, limited PIP options (ie TV can only be paired with HDMI), manual only on CD and a small but very bright blue LED next to the power button that stays on when the TV is off. However I still can't shake a general feeling of distrust for this company. Their customer and tech support seem either unwilling or unable to answer questions about their products, their 7 dead pixel policy was pretty standard a couple years ago but a bit wanting today and although this model claims to offer a 1 year in home warranty I have heard from others that they still require you to send the TV in to them at your expense if they decide to replace rather than repair it. For those trying to find a universal remote that works with this TV, I have a 2 year old One For All 10820 that does work with it after being upgraded. Their newer remotes should already have the codes but if not, they do have models now that can be upgraded over the phone.
  
  
• Great TV...a bear to set up
  By A2W0H1V39Q4NQO on 2007-04-08
  First of all...if you have the issue where you cannot change any items in a menu...do this:
  On the remote, hit the "Menu" button and then press the down arrow until you see "Picture," then hit enter, now hit the down arrow until you see "mode" and hit enter again. You should then see "power up" displayed. Hit enter again to get to the setting choices where you can change the mode back to "home"
  If you are in showroom...the TV cannot be changed in any manner.
  
  I found the TV to actually have higher standards than most reviews stated. The clarity is exceptional, it even picks up 13 HD stations via my antenna; my last tv picked up only 6. As with most HDTV's the standard definition analog signals do not look as well as they do on the "old" sets. However, the Olevia has a nice option where you can take out some of the choppiness in the blocking setting.
  
  I would definitely recommend the TV. I got it for $749 and would not take it back for $800.
  
  
• Love it!!
  By A3A271NQ1HUOD0 on 2007-03-09
  Got a great price on this TV, easy setup and great picture. TV looks good and is a quality unit. I also have a 50" Toshiba HDTV and the picture on the Olevia is as good if not better. Minor complaint, you need to scroll through the various inputs to get to the one you want, no direct access. Would buy again.
  
  
• Great deal for your money. But, beware of the sound quality.
  By A1ZI46Q2Z84ZPX on 2007-05-28
  I paid $699 for this set and I have to admit, even though I ought this for my bedroom, it can be a main room TV with it's picture quality. For an LCD, the HD channels come in sparkling. As for the SD channels, they look ok. But, you can tweak your setting a little (noise reduction) and the channels come in quite well. The rotary menu takes a little bit to get used to but is actually quite simple to navigate once you get the hang of it. It has more than enough composite and component inputs. However, it has only 1 HDMI input. No DVI input but somewhat makes up for it with SGVA input.
  I do have to complain about the sound quality. The on board speakers are pretty sorry to be nice. If you run a home theater system you will be fine. Otherwise you should turn the bass down to the mid level range and crank up the treble to about 70%. It sounds ok then.
  Again, for the money, you get a very good TV with some mediocre sound.
  
  
• Nice TV
  By A3E58G6UETSN0 on 2007-01-11
  Very nice TV. I especially like the picture. I went to many stores to review TVs because I was especially interested in having a good picture. So, I would rate the picture 8 on a scale of 1 to 10. It is much better than other discount TVs I saw at Sam's Club. I also went to Best Buy, Circuit City and looked at the excellent Samsung and Panasonic TVs.
  This TV picture is almost as good, I would say.
  
  I had a few problems with the remote, so I contacted customer service for Syntax Olevia via e-mail. They responded promptly. Telephone service is very slow. Another time I was on hold for about 10 minutes, but they did answer, and they helped me with my problem.
  
  I did a lot of research (about two months of waiting and watching) before I made this purchase. For the money, it is an absolutely excellent buy. I weighed options (more inputs, the highest pixels of 1080) when I considered spending more. But I guess I read reviews that said when high def. is coming through the eye can't discern much of a difference between the 1080 and 768. So, for the price I just don't think you can go wrong. I am very happy.
  
  
  
• Good Picture, but still needs refinement
  By A1WUJM69I4VCIT on 2007-02-15
  I went through many LCDs, looking and comparing, and stopped on the 537H from Olevia. Since there were none in my area to look at (and compare screen sharpness, contrast, etc. to others), I was taking a blind shot in the dark to buy it over the internet. But, from what others were praising about on the features of the 537H on the internet....I took a leap of faith.
  
  I'll do my review from a 'newbie' standpoint on review. The more experienced can sift through it for what they want.
  
  The 537H comes in a cardboard box that's found wanting of more sturdiness. I mean, we're talking about many hundreds of dollars sitting inside of the box. One wrong hard turn from the UPS/Fedex/whoever delivery guy can send the TV falling into a more stout package on the truck. Just remember that with newegg's "bulk shipment" policy (if you're buying from them). Mine, thankfully, came undamaged, box and all.
  
  Everything was with the TV (remote/remote instructions/quick setup of wires/CD...CD? What?). The only problem with the accesories is the fact that the CD contains the ENTIRE instruction manual....and it's only used by a computer. This is not a playable DVD by a DVD player. So, remember to have a computer to use so you can get to those valuable instructions in your first days of uncertainty with the TV. If you don't own a computer, that's a big negative against Olevia.
  
  I get my TV all squared away with the wiring hookup and turn it on, hoping that setting up over-the-air digital channels wouldn't be a hard thing to do. Wrong. First off, the TV has a great picture. No doubt. It certainly competes with the higher-priced/similarly-sized products in picture quality. My DVD movies haven't looked cleaner/sharper/brighter ever on a component wire hookup. But......back to the tuner features. The set automatically started giving me fits with the Closed Captioning. Why was it turned on? Who knows? The big question was "why won't it turn off?". The OSD is about as 'friendly' (Olevia's opinion, not mine) as a rabid dog frothing at the mouth. First, it is not a list menu, but a 'rolling' menu which can be confusing to some people. Secondly, the menu has too many choices that could be put under more generalized sections. And last, you can never be sure that the TV has taken your 'selection' of something on the menu. No blinking, no beeping, no confirmation at all. Another negative to add.
  
  The remote, however, was refreshingly nice. Many people in reviews complain that the TV isn't on their universal remote's code list, and therefore can't be used by it. Soooooo, why not try to use Olevia's? Olevia's universal remote has an extensive list of components it can control, along with SEVEN (that's right, SEVEN) separate component control...not counting the TV controlling ability. The remote even had the code to my Yamaha home theater amplifier, which was quite suprising and pleasing to me. The backlight control is strong and controls can be easily seen in dark rooms. Sadly, the remote also could use some extra thought. It does have 'hotkeys' to help you take care of some TV controls, but only a 'Funtion' key to move the control ability down the list of components it can control. No direct jump to, say, DVD to TV or AUDIO to TV. The same goes for the source. If you want to go from TUNER to COMPONENT 1, you have to key your way through the list on the TV until you get to the source signal you want. A good leap forward would be hotkeys for both of these problems, but they're not on this remote.
  
  All in all, you just can't beat the price for the quality picture the Olevia 537H exudes. However, for many novice buyers of TVs, this LCD will be a challenge to master.
  
  I give this set four stars, mainly for picture quality....but it almost fell to three because of the inconvienent features and unfriendly OSD. As for me, it will be quite some time (and never for any of my relations trying to use it during get-togethers) before I'm comfortable in using the TV and remote.
  
  
• Excellent TV for the Price
  By AB1TNS36J7XRD on 2007-03-26
  I had researched for a long time before I finally made my purchase. The final reasons for this purchase was the Consumer Reports Best Buy recommendation for the larger 42" version of this Olevia set. I had debated about purchasing a TV with 1080 but decided against doing so when I read that in a set this size that the naked eye could not tell the difference between 1080 and 720. I needed the 37" set due to the entertainment center we already owned, which cost 2.5 times the price of the TV, so it wasn't leaving the house. The TV opening would have allowed a 40" but I am glad I stayed with the 37" because the set-up would have been difficult if not impossible with a 40" because of the need to turn the set at angles. I compared the two TVs at the Olevia site and the only difference was the speakers. I also saw the Olevia at a friend's house and was impressed with the quality. The best price was found through Amazon.com. I placed my order on a Friday evening and the set was delivered by UPS in perfect condition on Wednesday. The set-up of the TV was simple. The only problem I experienced was with the remote. Here's the good news: I sent an email to tech support and quickly I had an answer that was simple to follow and the remote worked perfectly the same evening that I set-up the TV. Even though I use the surround sound through our stereo, I actually was satisfied with the sound through the TV speakers. A small problem is that the Time Warner Cable Box remote control does not operate the TV, so we do have to use multiple remotes, but that's only a minor inconvenience. Our family has been very pleased with the TV. I would highly recommend this TV to anyone purchasing this size TV.
  
  
  
• Pleased with my purchase
  By A1KOFAP4V2V4HD on 2007-05-13
  I had read the reviews in Consumer Reports and compared the specs with other comparable manufacturers. So I was prepared to receive a technically excellant product with a very poor operators manual. I was not disappointed. The product was packaged well for shipping and arrived in good shape. Unpacking and setting up was reasonably easy to do. Some knowledge of cabling is required. The manual and setup instructions are not written for the novice. Locating the button on the remote for switching between input sources was the more frustrating part and took several minutes by trial and error to determine which button to press. Once the setup was completed the system has worked as expected. In my opinion, it is an excellant product for the money.
  
  
• Too many problems. Buy another brand.
  By ALH3MXZQ8I86I on 2007-10-29
  The directions supplied with the TV are crazy stupid. And I cannot believe not one person reviewing this product did not mention the problem with remote control.
  
  Cable remote control cannot be programmed to control the TV because Olevia customer service told me, "our TV is too new and does not have codes yet". So you will always have to use TV remote for volume and cable remote for channel control.
  
  Everything on this TV is BACKWARDS. A bright light on the front of the TV stays "ON" when TV is "OFF". Isn't the light suppose to go off when tv is off?
  
  Directions are wrong. You must choose source then click menu. The directions say the opposite. To choose an option you must click "enter"' and the directions instead say click right arrow.
  
  The on-screen menu is confusing and plain aweful.
  
  Took me 2 hrs to set tv up when it should only take 10 minutes.
  
  
  
• Solid choice in the budget LCD market
  By A13UF6EI95Y9Z7 on 2007-07-06
  This is probably the first Olevia LCD that doesn't have any glaring problems. The 537h features the new MTK video processor chip. It does a great job of upconverting standard def. material. I would strongly recommend buying the 537h over the cheaper Olevia models just for this upgrade. The cheaper pixelworks chip doesn't do nearly as good of a job. HD material looks great. Color reproduction in particular is superb. The 537h also features RGB color control, which is uncommon at this price.
  
  The TV itself appears to be well constructed, although the case itself is a little deeper than some. Connections for VGA and HDMI are placed facing down, which is nice. Component, S-video and composite face towards the side of the TV which can create a problem when trying to route wiring. One thing I have noticed is that the TV puts off a lot of heat on the backside. I wouldn't recommend putting the TV in a space that doesn't have a lot of ventilation.
  
  Controlling the TV is pretty straight forward. Setup functions are accessible through a convenient rotating menu. The only gripe I have is that with so many inputs, it does take a second to cycle through all of them to get to the input you want. It would be nice if the TV could remember inputs that are actually used, so you could more easily switch between them.
  
  One area where the cost cutting of the 537h does show is in color/tint/contrast/brightness adjustment. The "steps" between each adjustment are very course, making it difficult to fine tune each of these settings. It is very apparent when using test patterns on a calibration disc like DVE. While I was able to achieve a very pleasing picture, I was not able to calibrate the TV spot-on.
  
  Audio on the TV is only OK. The speakers are adequate, but don't expect room filling sound by any means. I do get occasional "popping" on all inputs (which seems to be common on this TV.) Its not a huge problem, but it is a little annoying since the "pop" is much louder than the volume that the TV is set at. I would recommend using external speakers to over come this problem. The TV does have a volume controlled headphone jack which is nice, but they decided to put it on the backside of the TV which is a little strange.
  
  My only other caveat is that the TV does take a really long time to start-up. You can cut that time down by pressing the volume +/- button when the "Olevia" start up screen appears, but it seems like an unnecessary step. The Fluorescent backlight also needs a minute to "warm up" to its set color temperature. When you first turn on the TV, all the colors are slightly off.
  
  Overall, I am very pleased with the TV. It isn't perfect, but I don't expect that at this price point. Picture quality is where this TV excels and really that is all I care about in a TV. The problems are acceptable and don't make the TV difficult to live with.
  
  
• Very Happy with Olevia 37" LCD HDTV
  By A2B2CR65NZ19ZK on 2007-07-22
  I have read lots of reviews & expected a great picture and all of the quirks that this has (bright blue light when the TV is Off; 15 seconds to start; less than immediate channel changing; unusual menu; manual on CD only [not printed]). All of those things are true.
  
  The picture is spectacular. The first time we turned it on, the AllStar (baseball) game was on. I'm not really a baseball fan, but that was fantastic! We have an indoor powered antenna (~$30), which we have used for several years (we try not to watch enough TV to make cable worth it). There are a lot more channels available digitally and a lot more diversity of programming (music videos, southpark, etc. all for free). If you do have standard cable (we got the special sign-up deal for a few months), expect to be able to get a lot more channels on this than with an old "standard TV", and without paying for "digital". Wahoo! However, most cable channels are NOT HDTV :(
  
  Olevia seems to have fixed previous problems with settings, I only changed one feature (picture, noise reduction, high; instead of factory pre-set of medium). I never felt the need to consult the manual (my laptop is always on, so having it on CD is no problem). The sound is fine (anyone wanting good sound will go through a stereo) and it also has more inputs than I expected.
  
  The one unexpected thing about it is that it does take about 5 seconds between the time you push the power button (on the remote or TV) and the time ANYTHING happens (blue light goes off). However, after a week, even my 3 year old has learned to count to 5 to see if the light goes off before pushing the button again. Everything else has been covered in previous reviews.
  
  If you get your from Target, sign up for the red card to take 10% off the purchase price & you can get this in your house for less than $800. You won't regret it.
  
  
• Great TV for the price
  By AFHZXJY0CILL on 2006-12-14
  Bought this TV on Black Friday and got a very good deal. For the price it's a 5-star TV. At a higher price it's a 4-star.
  
  Pros:
  Cheap, picture is very good on HD channels, has QAM and ATSC/NTSC tuner, HDMI input, sound is great, can update firmware yourself, includes a 1-year in home warranty (for now), works as should and is overall a very nice LCD TV.
  
  Cons:
  Not as great of a picture on SD TV (that's natural), remote is good but not always intuitive, PIP doesn't work that well (limited options for each picture), seems kind of thick compared to other LCDs, menu system is kind of funky but not that bad, have to cycle through all inputs to get to the one you want
  
  I'm using it with an XBox 360 via component as well as a HD cable box and everything looks fantastic HD wise. You get grey bars on the side on the standard channels which is bothersome but normal. QAM didn't work great for me (did pick up a few channels) but that may be the local cable company not cooperating either.
  All in all a great deal if you get it at a good price. And IMO 37" is plenty big enough for most small (10x12) rooms.
  
  
• Great Buy
  By A1WSO3NCC33GQD on 2007-02-16
  Purchased this set after reading the overwhelmingly positive reviews for this product online. Thankfully, the reviews were accurate.
  
  For the price, this TV has an incredible picture. I used this set to replace an old 27" TV that used composite connections. With a progressive scan DVD player and HDMI connection, the picture is unbelievable. Because my Tivo box is a bit dated, had to use a S-video connection for my HD cable package. Still, even with S-video the images are far better than with standard TV on a standard set.
  
  All of the coments about the benefits of the numerous input/output ports on this TV are accurate. The menu is a bit complicated, but can be figured out in a day or so. The speakers are fine, but when plugged into a home theater (we use a Panasonic 1200W surround), this TV is outstanding. The remote may not be capable of offering a single "universal" remote, it can accomplish a lot of the most common functions needed (volume on home audio system, Tivo channel control, dvd player "main" functions)
  
  As noted in several other reviews, the box it ships in leaves a lot to be desired, but mine came through UPS relatively unscathed. Also, the reviews commenting on this set's 15 second start up time are accurate. When you press the "on" button, be prepared to wait for the set to come on. After that, it is smooth sailing.
  
  
  
  
• Gamerman
  By AZFSDLK7QO4N1 on 2007-03-10
  I was looking for a bargain-priced LCD and found this one. Just 6 months ago, you woud find this model at nearly twice the price! The move to 1080p has really brought down the price of the 720p LCD TVs. Now is the time to snatch them up before they are phased out.
  
  The 37" Olevia is great. I've had mine for a few days now and am very pleased. The 360 games look beautiful! You can't go wrong with this buy...unless you really need your instruction manual on paper. Who reads the instructions?
  
  
• A few bumps but worked out fine
  By A13U4FA4MYSUFG on 2007-05-25
  I got the TV and it didn't turn on. I called TigerDirect. They paid to ship it back and sent me another one with no shipping charge. The new one worked and turned on fine. there customer service it great. i bought it at 699 and it went on sale for 649 within 3 days and they are giving me the discount.
  
  Picture quality is great. The only negative is that it takes a solid 5-6 seconds from when you hit the 'on' button for the tv to actually turn on. set-up is really easy with the dvd and cable box. looks daunting but really just plugging in all in a row on the back.
  
  People seem not to like the 'wheel' set-up method on the screen for adjusting the color/tint/contrast, etc but I went to a store and actually was playing around with this feature. not to bad.
  
  would highly recommend at the price of 649 for a 37 inch with great quality.
  
  
• Great TV (when it works)
  By A2E0WNF4ZNP0EU on 2007-05-26
  I bought the Olevia 37" LCD HDTV to replace an old 25" standard television that broke down. The TV was delivered in perfect condition two days after I ordered it from Beach Camera. I am delighted with the purchase. The TV is attractive, provides plenty of connection options, is easy to setup, and produces a great picture.
  
  Some people have complained about the on-screen menu system. The menu system has the advantage of taking up very little screen space, so you can make adjustments while continuing to watch a program. The disadvantage is that, because so little of the screen is used, you have to navigate through a few layers of menu categories, which can be tedious. Settings rarely need to be changed, however, and any decent programmable remote will allow you to make any type of configuration change with the press of a single button.
  
  The image, sound and price of this TV cannot be beat. Buy it!
  
  Update: After about 11 months, the TV turned itself off and wouldn't come back on. Pressing the power button on the TV or remote had no effect. Syntax-Brillian Customer Service were quick to offer a replacement. The replacement, which is a refurbished TV, arrived after approximately one month. Although trying to communicate with Syntax-Brillian customer service can be frustrating, they honor their one year warranty. If you search the web, you will find many examples of customers who had their Olevia TVs fail after 6 to 24 months. Now that I have a working version again, I love this TV. I'm worried, however, that it will not be long before this refurbished version breaks down.
  
  
• Olevia 437- the truth
  By A157HI8DESSCSP on 2007-05-06
  Out of the box it was not smart enough to find channel 3 from my cable box. Once set the picture was quite good with regular cable, excellent with HD. The sound was awful. Cheapest speakers imaginable. Luckily it has an earphone jack (on the back). Plug in good PC speakers and things are much better. Poor, flimsy remote. Looks like all the money went into the picture. But for $669, that is not a bad deal.
  
  
• A quirky but decent TV
  By A3A1K0QSQLE4C3 on 2007-12-04
  Largely on the basis on a high Consumer Reports recommendation, I bought our set several months ago.
  
  The picture quality has generally been excellent in all modes, although I consistently use the screen "cropping" setting to get rid of annoying lines at the edges of the screen on a few channels (which may be due to the cable feed we receive).
  
  The sound quality is also good, although the lowest volume setting could be lower (for watching the TV very quietly at night). Sometimes when I have the volume set at the lowest level and then hit the mute button, getting out of the mute mode results in no sound at all until I tweak the volume control again.
  
  The phone customer service rots. Over several calls, I found it next to impossible to connect with somebody who spoke decent enough English to really understand. And speaking of English, some of the menus and on-screen messages include insultingly poor grammar (e.g., "not exist" for a channel selection with no signal, "not rating" for an unrated program, etc.); the customer service people had zero interest in hearing about this. The instruction manual is difficult to understand, with no meaningful explanation for what many of the functions and settings supposedly do. Customer service can't explain things any better either. To get around the problem of no printed manual, we printed out the entire PDF file (about 40 pages worth) and keep the printout near the TV.
  
  Another quirk: When I switch channels (which can take several long seconds), the program name is often wrong or filled with garbage characters. And even though I have programmed the TV to skip certain channels, sometimes they reappear in the active channel lineup anyway. And yesterday, the "favorites" button refused to work after one of the channels had been shifted to a different frequency by my cable operator.
  
  On the positive side, the TV is an energy sipper. When off, it consumes 1-2 watts of energy; I measured it. When powered on, it consumes about 135 watts on the "dark room" brightness setting and 185 watts on the "bright room" setting. In the "dark room" setting, the TV emits a faint hum. BTW, for those of you bothered by the bright blue power off light, a little piece of black tape over most of the light (i.e., top two thirds) works wonders! Of course, that doesn't stop the TV from making metallic expansion and contraction sounds (sort of like what baseboard hot water heat sounds like) when it's powered on or off.
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Not that great
  By A2R38RA2J8KLQJ on 2006-12-18
  We ordered this online through Target. Not only did Target charge my credit card twice, but the product came defective.
  The speakers were blown out and the pixals were not that great.
  I am giving a two star rating based on the pixals. Sometimes there were 2 inch chuncks of defective pixals on the screen. They would come and go but it was very annoying. I am returning this TV for an Emerson from Walmart.
  
  
• Wow!
  By A12PKZYP68CWLY on 2006-12-29
  I finally made the switch to an LCD HDTV. I paid $878 for this television and am very happy. The picture quality is as good or better than the name brands I see in the big box stores. I haven't figured out how to update the firmware yet, but I see from the reviews that others have done it so I'll keep trying!
  
  
• Good TV, bad everything else.
  By A1KXJCXS6HFRQZ on 2007-09-28
  I'm definitely pleased with much of this TV: The picture is excellent, the refresh rate is good for games, the speakers are surprisingly decent, and the connections on the back are more than adequate. Overall, it's a great TV and a great deal. What is lacking is this TV is, as some have already said, the menu system. It is absolutely atrocious. I have 2 Olevia TVs and both have the same crappy menu. I can name 100 ways in which it could be improved, but it's not worth it. In my opinion, this is not a deal breaker, and this is still a great TV. Only 2 other problems: The blue LED standby button is way too bright, and when you press power, the only feedback that the thing is turning on is that the LED goes off. You have to wait like 15-20 seconds before the backlight turns on. Strange and confusing...
  
  
• Terrible, You Get What You Pay For
  By A2192I8UN26BLW on 2008-02-02
  I'm sure some people have good experiences with Olevia but I definitely didn't. My only advice is read around for user opinions first before you buy an Olevia and take a look at their website and you will see that online tech support is nonexistent. Try even calling their tech support # and you will see how unresponsive they are.
  
  Seriously, you get what you pay for. I've had my Olevia for over a year and have had problems after owning it for 2 months. My problem like most people is that it won't turn on. Even if I dont watch it for a while, it won't work. The only solution is unplugging the power cable for about 3-4 hours and plugging it back in, then it starts working again, weird.
  
  The only good thing about this TV is the price, and that's if you get 5 solid years out of it. Other than that, video quality is poor (much worse than a Aquos or Sony), changing channels is slow and annoying, reliability is terrible, and tech support is terrible. I've cut my losses with this and hopefully you won't have to make the same mistake.
  
  

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